Lock



N. A. WELCH Feb.

LOCK

4 Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb. '7. 1949 ATTO RN EYS' N. A. WELCH LOCK 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb. 7. 1949 %h .NQ Mm. MW; hlm .m MN, lr n q V LIIIIIL h I IIN w wvML Nw u KW KM. vm bn s@ mn MW.

INVENTOR NICHOL'a/(E/f A*TORNEY5 N. A. WELCH Feb. 1, 1955 LOCK 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed Feb. 7. 1949 lNvENToR /V/CHOLAS A. WFLCH ATTORN EYSl FIG. l2,

Feb. 1, 1955 N. A. WELCH 2,700,886

Loox

Filed Feb. 7. 1949 4 SheetsSheet 4 INVENTOR Mos/@M5 A. W15/ cw ATTORNEYS United States Patent O LOCK Nicholas A. Welch, West Hartford, Conn., assignor to The American Hardware Corporation, New Britain, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application February 7, 1949, Serial No. 74,963

23 Claims. (Cl. 70-216) My invention relates to a door lock, and in particular to that type of lock which is known as a cylindrical lock.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved device of the character indicated.

It is another object to provide an improved lock construction, wherein virtually all the saine parts may be used to assemble a plurality of functionally different door locks meeting a variety of requirements, with a minimum of part changes required to adapt the lock to any given specific requirements.

It is a further object to provide an improved door-lock construction utilizing essentially only sheet-metal parts.

It is a still further object to provide improved pushbutton means for setting a door lock.

A further object is to provide improved throw-off means for a lock of the character indicated.

A specific object is to provide an improved push-button lock-setting mechanism wherein a first push may serve to set the lock and a further push may serve to release or throw olf the lock, and, further wherein there may be a definite indication of whether the lock happens to be in a locked or in an unlocked condition.

It is another specific object to provide an improved lock construction in which the mechanism may be dogged and thrown ott from the inside of the door and in which a key or the like operation from the outside of the door may also throw oit the dog mechanism.

It is also a specilic object to provide an improved lock construction wherein, once the mechanism has been dogged upon an operation from the inside of the door, a key or the like operation from the outside of the door is necessary in order to throw oi the dog, the latch mechnism being all the while operable from the inside of the oor.

Other objects and various further features of the invention will be pointed out or will occur to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specilcation in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In said drawings, which show, for illustrative purposes only, preferred forms of the invention:

Fig. l is a longitudinal horizontal sectional view of a door-lock mechanism incorporating features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially in the plane 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is another vertical sectional view, taken in the plane 2-2 of Fig. 1 but looking in the opposite direction from that depicted in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View of the lock of Fig. 1, taken substantially in the plane 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view generally similar to Fig. 1, simplified as to parts, and showing the member elements in a dii'- ferent relationship than in Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is another simplified view like that of Fig. 5 but showing the elements in a third relationship of parts;

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal horizontal sectional View of another lock mechanism representing a modification of the arrangement of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially in the plane 8 8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a simplified view showing a diterent relationship of the parts of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a partly exploded and cut-away fragmentary perspective view of a modified lock-setting mechanism;

Fig. 11 is a view in the generally horizontal plane 11--11 of Fig. 10;

ice

Fig. 12 is a side view of certain parts of the arrangement of Fig. 10; and

Fig. 13 is a partly exploded fragmentary perspective View of a lock-setting mechanism representing a modification of the arrangement of Fig. l0.

The preferred forms of the invention to be described have been embodied in cylindrical lock arrangements wherein generally tubular members extend transversely of a door for actuation by an outside knob and for actuation by an inside knob. The outside knob may carry a cylinder lock or other desired rotatable element therein, and the inside knob may carry a longitudinally displaceable member or push button that may be manually accessible through the center of the inside knob.

As indicated by the above objects, my lock construction may be adapted to meet a variety of different requirements with little or no change of parts. ln the forms to be described, the rollback mechanism for the latch bolt may always be engaged to the inside knob while the outside knob may be selectably engaged to the rollback means, depending upon the inside-operated manual positioning orI the longitudinally movable member. The longitudinally movable member may be normally resilienily urged in a direction to permit tree knob actuation of the rollback means from both the outside and the inside of the door. Latch means may be employed to hold the longitudinally movable member in another position in which the outside knob is effectively disconnected from the rollback means, thus assuring privacy on the inside or' the door.

In one form, the latch means may be thrown oil upon operation from the inside or' the door, while a key or the like operation is needed in order to throw olf the latch t'rom the outside. ln another form, the latch may not be thrown orf from the inside, and only a key or the like operation from the outside will throw oif the latch. ln still another arrangement, the means for operating the latch throw oit' may be incorporated in the longituomally movable member (or in a member movable therewith), and this throw ott' may be ettected upon an incremental displacement of the longitudinally movable member. ln all cases, however, sate exit may be assured by having the inside knob engaged to the rollback means regardless or' the en'ective clogging against entrance t'rom the outside.

Referring to Figs. l through 6 or' the drawings, my invention is shown 1n application to a cylindrical loer. construction as applied to a door 15, and at the iront edge ot' the door a latch bolt 16 and its housing or case J7 have been suitably supported. The latch bolt 16 may be of a type which is normally spring-urged outwardly, and it may be withdrawn or retracted upon a backward pull of a tail member 18.

The lock assembly may be housed within a generally cylindrical case having an enlarged central portion 19 to contain and slidably guide a retractor 2U having means to engage the latch tail 18. At opposite ends or the enlarged case portion 19, the housing may include sleeve projections 21--22 to provide bearing support for rotatable elements or' the lock. ln the form shown, the lock housing is held lixedly to the door by means ot' bolts Z3, clamping an outside annular plate 24 against the outside of the door and a tiange 25 against the inside of the door. Outside and inside roses 24"-25 may be carried by the members 24-25, respectively. The flange 25 may be threaded, as at 26, to the inside or' the sleeve portion 21 ot' the housing, for adaptation to a particular door thickness, and the inside rose may be removably applied to the iiange 25 after the mounting of liange 25 on the door,

For the form that is being described, an inside knob 27 is permanently keyed to rollback means for operating the retractor, and this permanent connection will be understood to assure that the latch bolt 16 may always be operated from the inside of the door, regardless of the set or thrown-oft condition of the lock. The rollback means may comprise a pair of generally oppositely disposed rounded ears 28 at the outside-projecting end of a sleeve member 29, deriving its support directly from the lock housing portion 21, or from an intermediate spacer bushing 30. A relatively narrow longitudinally extending slot 31 in the rollback sleeve 29 may provide suitable means to be engaged by a key or dimple 32 on the shank of the Vmuch the same manner as the inside knob 27, and I have shown a key element 34 to key the outside knob 33 against rotation with respect to an outside-knob spindle 35 which, like the inside-knob spindle 29, may be a longitudinally extending sleeve deriving its support from the outside-projecting tube 22 of the lock housing. A snap ring 36 may fit a circumferential groove at the inside end of the outside-knob spindle 35 to provide an abutment against outward dislocation of the outside knob 33, as will be clear. Outwardly bent lugs 36 formed from the outside-knob spindle 35 may serve to prevent rotation of the snap ring 36, so as to maintain an axially open slot 56 in spindle 35, for a purpose which will be pointed out.

As indicated generally above, I provide novel means for selectively placing the outside knob 33 in driving relation with the rollback means so that, depending upon a selection made from the inside of the door, the outside knob 33 may or may not be effective to withdraw the latch bolt 16. This novel selective engagement may be effected through the cooperation between a relatively extensive tubular member or through-spindle 37, and a longitudinally displaceable member 38. The displaceable member 38 may be stamped from flat sheet material and for purposes of the present description it will be called a blade. The displaceable member or blade 38 may be manually positioned in a number of selected positions and each of these positions may determine a given mode of operation of the lock. l

To assist in establishing what may be termed a normal position or operating condition of the lock of Figs. l to 6. I employ resilient means such as a compression spring 39 normally to urge the blade 38 in the direction of projecting away from the inside knob 27. To this end the spring 39 may be coiled about a reduced section or neck 40 of the blade 38 so as to engage the blade 38 at its enlarged end 41; the other end of the spring 39 may rest upon one or more longitudinally fixed lugs or projections 42, which may be formed by inwardly depressing one or more parts of the through-spindle 37 (see Fig. 4). For convenience of use, the enlarged head 41 of the blade 38 may carry a cupped or otherwise formed push-button member 43 having an enlarged surface comfortable for thumb pressing.

Since I employ a spring (39) normally to urge the blade 38 into a first position (the position shown in Fig. 5), I may provide latch means for holding the blade 38 in a depressed position, such as the position shown in Fig. 1. In view of the fact that the lock of Fig. l may have two different depressed positions, I shall hereafter refer to the position of Fig. 1 as the intermediate position; the position of Fig. 6 may be termed the full-in position.

In accordance with a feature of the invention I employ means such as a number of dogs, lugs or projections carried (in the form shown) by the blade member 38 selectively to engage one or more slots in the various spindle members 37-29-35, in order to effect the desired relationship between the outside knob 33 and the rollback means in the various push-button selected positions.

The lock may be so arranged that the outside knob is dogged against rotation while full freedom is permitted for latch-bolt retraction by operation of the inside knob 27; in the form shown. such rotation of the inside knob 27 may serve as an inside operated throw-off for the dogging mechanism. Since the inside knob is to throw off the dogging function, that is, since the inside knob is to release the blade 38 so as to permit spring 39 to return blade 38 into its normal outward position (Fig. 5). the blade 38 is preferably held in its intermediate position (Fig. l) by means functionally effective between tbe blade 38 and the rollback means. or between the blade 38 and a part operated by the rollback means.

To hold the lock in intermediate position shown in Fig. 1, I employ a latch member 45 which may be pivotally carried on the blade member 38, and a spring 46 may cooperate between the latch 45 and the blade 38 normally to urge the latch 45 in a clockwise direction in the sense of Fig. l). The latch 45 may engage the retractor 20 by means of a downwardly depending lug or projection 47 positioned to abut a cooperating projection 48 on the retractor 20; the retractor projection 48 will be understood to pass radially through the through-spindle 37 via an enlarged opening or gate 37 therein, the gate being angularly wide enough to permit through-spindle operation without fouling the retractor projection 48. The retractor 20 may be normally urged, as by springs 49, toward the front of the door so that in an unactuated position of the inside knob 27 the retractor projection 48 may be resiliently held in the position shown.

Actuation of the inside knob 27 will be understood to bring one or the other of the ears 28 to bear against one or the other of two opposed ledges 50 on the retractor assembly 20. Since the retractor projection 48 and the ledges 50 are all parts of the same element, namely, the retractor mechanism, knob actuation may pull the projection 48 out of latching or dogging relation with the latch 45, and there may then be nothing to prevent the blade 38 from responding to the influence of spring 39 for its return to the full-out position of Fig. 5.

I prefer that the relation of slots in the spindle sleeves 29-37-35 with respect to the projections on blade 38 be such that, for the full-out position (Fig. 5), free-knob actuation is possible both from the inside and from the outside of the door. I thus prefer that for this relationship all three of the spindles 29-35-37 shall rotate in unison. To effect such rotation a tirst lug or projection 52 on the blade 38 may be positioned in a relatively narz row slot 53 in the through-spindle 37 and also in a relatively narrow slot 54 in the inside-knob spindle 29, thus effectively locking the through spindle 37 to the insideknob spindle 29. The blade 38 may carry a further projection or lug 55 which may ride in essentially the same relatively narrow slot 53 of the through-spindle 37, and which may also ride in a relatively narrow slot 56 in the outside-knob spindle 35, thus effectively locking the outside knob-spindle 35 to the through-spindle 37.

In the form shown, the second-mentioned blade projection 55 happens to perform an additional function for every position of the blade 38, except in the full-out position shown in Fig. 5. This added function is one of dogging the blade 38 and, hence, the through-spindle 37 against rotation whenever the blade projection 55 is in engagement with a relatively narrow slot 58 in the outside tubular part 22 of the lock housing. However, for the full-out position which is being described, the blade projection 55 will have been pulled back so as not to ride in the slot 58 of the lock housing or frame. out position, therefore, the blade 38 and the throughspindle 37 and the inside-knob spindle 29 and the outsideknob spindle 35 may all rotate in unison, and it will be clear that a turn of the outside knob 33 may retract the latch bolt 16.

ln order that the insider knob may actuate the latch bolt while the push button 43 is in a depressed position (i. e. while the through spindle 53 is dogged), I provide means for disengaging the inside-knob spindle 29 from the through-spindle 37 for such push-button position.

Such disengagement may be effected by appropriate widening of the slot 54 in the inside-knob spindle, as at 54', in order to permit rotary lost motion between the blade projection 52 and the inside-knob spindle 29.

In the course of depressing the push button 43 so as to displace the blade 38 from the full-out position of Fig. 5 to the intermediate position of Fig. 1, the pivoted latch member 45 will be in a canted position with a depending ledge or nose 60 resiliently urged downward (in the sense of Fig. 5) so as to ride on the inside surface of the through-spindle 37. As the latch 45 approaches a lug 61, however, a wedging or cam surface 62 is positioned to intercept the lug 61 and to ride upon the same. By the time the blade 38 (and, therefore, the latch 45) reach the intermediate position, the cam surface 62 is preferably designed to have rotatably carried the latch 45 into the generally horizontal position shown in Fig. l, and for this position a ledge or dwell 63 at the end of the slope 62 may rest upon the lug 61. At the latch 45 rotates under the influence of cam 62, the intermediate dogging projection or lug 47 will be understood to be brought more and more downwardly until it is in a dog ging relation with the retractor projection 48, as has been explained above.

The lug 6l which is responsible for causing the latch 45 to rotate into the intermediate clogging position may be a part of an outside-operated throw-off mechanism. The lug 61 may thus be formed on a bracket 64 secured to the plug of afcylinder-lock 65, carried within the outside knob 33 and actuable upon insertion of a proper key 66. When the key 66 is turned, it will be under- For the fullstood that the lug 61 will be rotatably carried and that it may drop oif the dwell 63 on the latch member 45, thus allowing the spring 46 to pull the dogging projection 47 out of engagement with the retractor lug 48. Once this direct engagement has been removed, the spring 39 will be free to displace the blade 38 back to the full-out position of Fig. 5.

It has been indicated that the structure of Fig. 1 may be adapted to perform a number of different functions with little or no change of parts. I have described how the outside knob and the inside knob may be free to retract the latch bolt 16 for one position of the blade 38 (the full-out position, Fig. 5), and how for another position of the blade (the intermediate position, Fig. l) the outside knob may be dogged against rotation while the inside knob may be free to retract the latch bolt 16. In this intermediate position, rotation of the inside knob 27 may throw ol the latch 45 (by pulling retractor projection 48 out of latching or dogging engagement with the latch projection 47), or key operation of the cylinder lock 65 may also throw off the latch 45 (by removing the lalth support normally provided by the key-operated In a third possible position (full-in position, Fig. 6) of the blade 38, the outside knob 33 may again be dogged against rotation, and the inside knob 27 may again be free to retract the latch bolt 16. However, upon rotation of the inside knobe 27 there may be no throw off of the latch 45, and the latch 45 may be thrown olf only upon key operation of the cylinder lock 65. To effect this additional function with the third or full-in position of the blade 38, the latch 45 need only be provided with a downwardly depending ledge to snap into hooking relation with the key-operated lug; such a projection is the projection 60, and it will be clear that upon sufficient depression of the push button 43 beyond the intermediate position of Fig. 1 the latch 45 may ride upon the lug 61 and over the gentle slope 67 on the forward edge of the downward projection 60. It will, incidentally, be understood that the cam slope 62 which is shown to lead to the dwell 63 may, if desired, be one and the same with the slope 67. However, in the form shown I have interposed the dwell 63 in order to provide a more extensive seating engagement of the latch 45 with the key operated lug 61, for the intermediate position.

When full-in, as in Fig. 6, the latch 45 will be resiliently held in engagement with the key-operated lug 61, and only upon key operation of the cylinder lock can there be any release of the blade 38 so as to permit knob actuation from the outside. It will however, be understood that, by virtue of the enlarged slot 54 in the inside-knob spindle, inside-knob operation may still be permitted, and thisC without throwing off the push-button setting of the loc In Figs. 7, 8, and 9, I show a modification of the abovedescribed structure, and in accordance with this modification a push-button operation is employed (rather than an inside-knob operation) to throw oi the lock setting. In the form shown, the throw-off function of the push button is accomplished upon a depression of the push button 43; and the outside operation, such as a key operation of cylinder lock 65, is not effective to change the lock setting determined by the push-button position, even though a key operation may still serve to operate the latch.

In the arrangement of Fig. 7 I utilize essentially the same internal parts as have been described in connection with Figs. 1-6, but I employ a slightly different combination of slots and of lugs to engage these slots. The inside knob 27 may be keyed, as at 70, to an inside-knob spindle 71; the outside knob 33 may also be keyed, as by the key 72, to an outside-knob spindle 73. Both knob spindles 71-73 may be axially overlapped by a through-spindle 74. The inside-knob spindle 71 may, like the spindle 29 of Fig. l, be formed with rollback ears (not shown) to effect retraction of the retractor 20 in order to operate a latch bolt.

Unlike the first-described arrangement, the device of Fig. 7 provides for always rotatively carrying the longitudinal movable blade 75 and the through-spindle, whenever the roll-back member or inside-knob spindle 71 is actuated. Thus, adownwardly depending projection or lug 76 on the blade 75 may engage relatively narrow longitudinal slots 77-78 in the through-spindle 74'and in the inside-knob spindle71, respectively.

- In-order to Vdog the outside knob 33 against rotation,

I show a dog member 79 which may be pivoted, as at 80, to a support means 81 carried within the lock case 19 and normally urged, as by a compression spring 82, into dogging engagement with a relatively narrow longitudinal slot 83 in the outside-knob spindle 73. For the set-lock position of the push button 43 (that is, while the outside-knob spindle 73 is dogged by member 79 against rotation), another downward projection 84 on the blade 75 may be positioned in axial alignment with a relatively wide portion 85 of the slot in the outside-knob spindle 73; the angular width of the slot 85 is preferably such as to permit free rotation of the blade 75 to both sides of the neutral position shown and to an extent permitting roll-back retraction of the retractor 20.

The full-out position of the blade 75 (see Fig. 9, representing an unset condition of the lock) may serve to connect the outside knob in operative relation with the inside-knob spindle 71 and hence with the rollback means, thus making possible both inside and outside knoboperation of the latch bolt. In this other position (fullout position), the projection 76 on the blade 75 may, as before, still simultaneously engage both the relatively narrow slots 77--78 of the through-spindle 74 and of the inside-knob spindle 71, and the only essential change in function may be that performed by the blade projection 84.

In the course of shifting Ithe blade projection 84 from the ill-position of Fig. 7 to the out-position of Fig. 9, a forward sloping edge 86 of the projection 84 may cooperate with the pivoted dogging member 79 to displace the latter downwardly against the action of the spring 82. This displacement may be sufficient to clear the pivoted dogging member 79 from any possible dogging engagement with the outside-knob spindle 73; furthermore, in its position of holding the pivoted dogging lever 79 out of engagement with the outside-knob spindle 73, the projection 84 may engage the narrow slot portion 83 of the outside-knob spindle 73. When so engaged, a turning of the outside knob 33 may directly actuate (that is, rotate) the blade 75 via its projection 84; and, since the blade 75 is permanently keyed to the through-spindle 74 and to the inside-knob spindle 71, there may be direct actuation of the rollback means. During such actuation, it will be understood that the projection 84 of the blade 75 and, with it, the narrow-slot portion 83 of the outsideknob spindle 73 will pass out of alignment with the dogging lever 79, and that, when the knobs and the throughspindle 74 are returned to the locked position, the projection 84 may still hold the dogging member 79 out of the slot 83.

As in the case of the first-described arrangement, the locking mechanism of Fig. 7 may additionally be operated from the outside by means of a cylinder lock, such as the :cylinder lock 65. In the form shown in Fig. 7, however, the plug of the lock 65 supports a cup member 88 for rotation therewith, and the cup member 88 may have longitudinally extending slots or key means 89 slidingly to engage the end of the blade 75. It will be clear then that, upon key operation of the cylinder lock 65 and whenever the outside-knob spindle 73 is dogged (position of Fig. 7), key operation of the cylinder lock 65 may serve to drive the lblade 75 (and, hen-ce, to actuate the rollback mechanism) via pr-ojection 76 and slots 77-78. It will be understood that during such key operation the relatively wide extent of the yslot 85 in the outside-knob spindle may permit unfettered key operation.

Thus far my description of the arrangement of Fig. 7 has concerned itself solely with the means for selectively engaging the outside knob 33 and the key-operated cylinder lock 65 to the rollback mechanism. The structure of Fig. 7 may also incorporate novel means for retaining and for throwing off either of the described selected engagements. Functionally, this novel means may employ a single first pu-sh of the button 43 to set the lock, and ya single further push thereof to release or throw off the lock; by having the button 43 hold its lock-set position, a readily interpretable indication may be had of the set or thrown-off condition of the lock.

In the form shown, the full-out position of Fig. 9 may Ibe termed a normal position tha-t is resiliently determined by a compression spring 90 and in this position both knobs 33 and 27 may be free to operate the rollback mechanism. An abutment 77 at one end of slot 77 may serve to limit outward displacement of button 43, as when lug 76 engages abutment 77.

In order to hold the intermediate (set-lock) position of Fig. 7 I provide latch means 91 pivotally carried with the `blade 75. Latch means 91 may engage some axially fixed member, and, in the form shown, a projecting ledge 92 of latch means 91 cooperates with a slot 93 in the through-spindle 74 for holding lthe intermediate position (Fig. 7). The latch means 91 may be resiliently held in the latching position of Fig. 7 by a leaf spring 94, which is shown slightly bowed between a notch 94 on the latch means and a notch 96 on the blade 75.

In accordance with a feature of the invention, I provide a novel camming cooperation between the latch means 91 and a longitudinally fixed part of the structure for-automatically throwing olf the latch means 91 upon adepression of the thumb or push button 43 beyond the intermediate position sh-own in Fig. 7. Such cam means may be formed integrally with the through-spindle 74 and, in the form shown, a small dimple 97 is poised to intercept a sloping surface 98 on the latch mean-s 91 upon such further depression of the push button 43.

It will be appreciated that with sufficient additional depression of the push button 43, the sloping surface 98 of the latch means 91 may ride upon the dimple 97 to such an extent that the latch means 91 may snap with a counter clockwise rotation about its pivot, into a position such as that 4shown by the dotted outline 99 of Fig. 9. In this snapped positi-on, the notch 95 will have passed the line of centers between the latch pivot and the notch 96, so that |the spring 94 may then resiliently hold the latch means 91 in the snapped position 99.

Upon subsequent release of the push button 43, the

spring 90 may be effective to withdraw the blade 75 and thus to drag another sloping surface 100 of the latch means across the other side of the dimple 97. As the surface 100 passes over the dimple 97, the latch means 91 will be rotated clockwise; and, as the notch 95 again passes (by rotation) the line of centers between the latch pivot and the notch 96, there will be a second snap action -tending to return the latch means 91 to the position of Fig. 7. It will be appreciated, however, that such return may not be completed because of the dwell or effective dwell between the two cam surfaces 98-100 of the latch means 91; for, upon the second snap action, the ledge 92 will no longer be poised to engage the slot 93, and the blade 75 may, therefore, be free to return under the iniiuence of spring 90 to the full-out position of Fig. 9, with the ledge or abutment 92 resiliently riding upon the smooth inner surface of the through-spindle 74. I-t remains, therefore, for a new depression of the push button 43 in order once more to set the latch means 91, as shown in Fig. 7. l It will be `appreciated that the latch means 91 may be relatively small and that the snap action of the spring 94 may be relatively weak. Therefore, in the absence of further structure, the click or other sympton evidencing the engagement of the latch means 91 in the position of Fig. 7 may pass unnoticed, thus rendering more difficut the establishment of the latched position of Fig. 7.

In order to make the establishment of the relationship of Fig. 7 more noticeable, I prefer to employ additional spring means, such as a compression spring 101, to be noticeably engaged only after latching engagement of the latch means 91. The spring 101 may be relatively stiff (that is, stifr compared with the action of spring 90), and in order to make the action of the spring more noticeable, I prefer that it be preloaded, as by a fixed retention by inwardly depending lugs 102, which may be pressed out of the cup member carried by the cylinder lock 65.

It will be clear that, upon a first depression of the push button 43 from the unset position of Fig. 9, the action or thumb resistance may be relatively weak until the forward edge of the blade 75 engages the relatively heavy spring 101; `by this time the latch abutment 92 will have engaged the latching slot 93 in the through-spindle 74, and the lock will remain set if the thumb is removed. In throwing off the lock by a further depression of the push button 43, a pronouncedly stiffer thumb resi-stance is encountered, but displacement against the relatively stiff action need be relatively short in order to permit the latch to toggle out of latching position, as will be understood.

In Figs. l0, 1l, and 12, I show a modified arrangement adaptable to the structure of Fig. 7, in order to provide essentially the same functional features with re- 8 1 gard to push-button operation. The push buttons and latches of Figs. 10-13 replace button 43 and latch means 91 of Fig. 7 and serve for the selectable longitudinal placement of a selector blade analogous to blade 75. Thus, in the arrangements of Figs. l0, l1, and 12, a first push of the button may be employed to set the lock (that is, to set the blade 75 in a locking position); and a second and further push of the button 110 may be effective to release or throw off the lock, by permitting the blade 75 to assume an outwardly extended position. In the arrangements of Figs. 10, l1, and l2, I employ for this purpose novel means such as openings 111-112 which may be punched from the through-spindle member 74 (corresponding to spindle member 74 of Fig. 7) before the latter is rolled into tubular shape. Camfollower means in the form of a displaceable pin 113 may alternately engage the cam means 111-112.

In the form shown, the program cam 111 may normally engage a radially outwardly projecting end of the pin 113, and the pin 113 may be slidably guided for radial motion within a rotatable guide block 114. While the pin 113 is projecting for engagement with the cam means 111, as shown in all of Figs. l0, ll, and 12, the other end 113 of the pin 113 is preferably recessed in or at least ush with the opposite side of the guide block 114; the end 113 may thus be out of engagement with the cam means 112.

In order radially to shift the pin 113, I provide a resiliently opposed lost-motion connection between the push button 110 and the guide block 114. Such connection may include a bolt 115, necked at 116 and with a head 117 for engagement with a T-slot 118 in the push button 110. The inner end of the bolt may be axially slotted, as at 119, so as to define two opposed inwardly projecting arms 120 which may straddle a reduced portion 121 of the pin 113. Cam surfaces 122 on the same side of each of the arms 120 may cooperate with correspondingly sloped shoulder surfaces or ledges 123 on the pin 113, so as to cause radial displacement of the pin 113 upon a forced entry of the bolt 115 into the guide block 114. Such radial displacement of the pin 113 may be resiliently opposed by a relatively weak coil spring 125. When so displaced, it will be appreciated that the end of pin 113 which normally engages the cam program 111 may be retracted out of such engagement; concurrently, the other end 113 of the pin may be driven to project for engagement with the cam 112.

In order to retain assembly of the parts described, radially inwardly projecting lugs 126 may be formed at the inner extreme ends of the bolt arms 120, and such projections will be understood to engage the enlarged part of the pin 113 and thus to prevent disassembly of the pin 113 from the guide block 114. or of the guide block 114 from the push button 110. Since the pin 113 will always be in engagement with one or the other of the cam programs 111- 112, the pin means 113 may always serve to retain the push button 110 within the lock assembly.

The arrangements of Figs. 10, ll, and 12 will be better understood from a description of the lock-setting and throw-olf operations, commencing with an unlocked condition` at which time the push button 110 may be fully extended, as in the case of the push button 43 in Fig. 9. The push button 110 need be permitted only purely axial motion. since a locating projection 127 thereon may be in constant engagement with the walls 128 of a straight guide slot formed by the rolled-un sides of the at stock which produced the through spindle 74. In the unlocked position, the pin 113 will be urged radially outwardly by spring for engagement with the cam means 111, and overlapping abutments 129 (on push button 110) and 130 (on guide block 114) may be in end-to-end engagement so as to limit the axial lost motion between members 110- 114. The guide block 114 may, at its inner end 131, abut the blade 75', and such abutment may be maintained by spring means (not shown) constantly urging the blade 75 against the pushbutton assembly, as will bc understood.

In setting the blade 75' in a locking position, as for example in a position corresponding to that shown for the blade 75 in Fig. 7, the push button 110 may be depressed and may directly drive (through abutments 129-.-

130) thc blade 75 tothe right (in the sense lof the draw ings), against the compression of the spring means that backs up the blade 75. During this displacement, the guide block 114 will have been subjected to no turning moments until the pin 113 srikes a forward curved portion 132 of the cam 111. rthe effect of the prolile 132 will be understood to force a partial rotation of the guide block 114 with-respect to the push button 110, and the push button 110 may be driven no further axially than that position at which pin 113 directly abuts a bay 133 in the cam program 111. Finger pressure may then be released to allow the spring means behind blade 75' to drive the guide block 114 to the left and, hence, to drive pin 113 back into contact with a camming projection or ledge 134 on the cam means 111; such ledge 134 will be understood to provide a still further turning moment for angularly advancing the guide block 114 with respect to the push button 110, until another bay 135 in the cam program 111 is engaged by the pin 113. The bay 135 may hold the pin 113 and thus retain the blade 75 in a locking position, with the push button 110 in a depressed position (which may externally resemble the position of push button 43 in Fig. 7).

It will be understood that during the operations thus far described, the abutments 129-130 may have prevented any noticeable lost motion between members 110-114 and that said abutments may thus have prevented any tendency to displace the pin 113 from engagement with the cam means 111, but that the. angular displacement effected during the travel of pin 113 from its starting position to the bay 135 will have been sufficient to displace abutments 129-130 out of axial alignment. In order to release the blade 75 from its locked position (with the pin 113 engaging the bay 135) the push button 110 may be again or further depressed, this time against the relatively weak action of spring means 124 between members 110-114, so as to permit axial lost motion to take place between members 114-110. During this lost motion, the cam surfaces 122-123 may cooperate to displace pin 113 out of engagement with the cam program 111 and into engagement with the cam program 112. Such camming engagement may be eective upon an initial depression of the push button 110; but, in the event that further depression is necessary in order to get a stiffer backing from the spring means (not shown) behind the blade 75, I provide a further generally longitudinal surface 136 in the cam means 111. During displacement along cam surface 136, the 'reduced end 113' of the pin is preferably in constant alignment with the cam 112, so that the pin end 113 may at any time slip into the cam 112.

Upon a releasing or throw-off operation, push-button motion (and the movement of block 114) will be determined by engagement of the pin end 113 with the cani 112. Once the pin 113 has kshifted to the cam 112 (and this shift is automatic and unnoticeable upon a sufficient throw-off push of button 110), push button 110 may then be released to allow the spring behind blade 75' to drive the assembly outwardly of the inside knob and to rotatably guide the guide block 114 in accordance with the program 112. It will be noted that, as the push button 110 is retracting, the operators finger may still press (but to a lesser extent) inwardly and that, therefore, there may be suiicient force to keep pin end 113 in engagement with cam 112, at least until pin 113 has retracted axially past the latching projection 134. During such release or throw-off, the abutments 129 130 may angularly engage, but the spring 124 is preferably of sufficient stiffness as to force members 110-114 apart, to permit them to resume their starting positions in which abutments 129-130 longitudinally overlap, as will be understood.

In Fig. 13, I show a modification of the arrangement of Figs. 10, 1l, and 12, and in this modification a rocking-lever member 140 carried by a guide block 114 may perform a function analogous to that of the displaceable pin 113 of the above-described arrangement. In the arrangement of Fig. 13 I again employ a push button 110 with a guide projection 127 to assure non-rotating axial displacement of the push button 110. The push button 110 and the guide block 114 may include angularly overlapping abutments 129 and 130 to operate in the same manner as in Fig. 10. The lever 140 may be pivoted, as on pin means 141 engageable with each of two halves 142-143, of the guide-block means; and

the lever 140 may include a first projection 144 normally to be guided by the cam program 111 and a second projection 145 to be shiftably projected for engagement with the cam 112. Spring means 146 may normally resiliently urge the lever 140 into the position shown in Pig. 13, for engagement with the cam program 111. To actuate the lever 140, a push rod 147 may be guided in a slot or groove 148 in the block member 143 to engage the face 149 of the push button at one end, and to engage a lug 150 on the lever 140 at the other end. The lug 150 will be understood to have freedom to move in the groove passage 148 upon actuation by the push rod 147. Spring means 151 may normally resiliently urge members 114110 apart, as in the case of the spring 124 of Fig. 10, and the push rod 147 may guidingly support the spring 151.

Operation of the arrangement of Fig. 13 may be completely analogous to operations described for the Fig. 10 arrangement. Therefore, in the 4unlocked position of blade 75 in the Fig. 13 arrangement, the abutment means 129130' may be axially overlapped so as to limit lost motion between members 110-114' and so as thus to prevent actuation of the lever 140 when the push button 110 is first pressed. Upon depressing the push button 110', the lever projection 144 will be guided by cam 111 and will serve to retain the blade 75' in a locked position when in engagement with the bay 135. When so engaged with the bay 135, the members 114-110' will be understood to have been rotated with respect to each other so that abutments 129-130 will no longer be in position to limit the lost motion. Therefore, upon a releasing or throw-olf depression of the push button the push rod 147 may be directly driven against the lug 150 of the lever 140, thereby driving the lever 140 for engagement at the end with the cam 112. At the end of throw-off travel, projection 145 will be stopped by the bottom of cam 112, and a release of the push button may allow all parts to assume their starting positions, as will be clear.

It will be seen that I have disclosed relatively simple lock constructions adaptable with relatively minor changes to the performance of a number of different functions, depending upon desired applications. In the lock constructions of Figs. 1 to 6, for example, the latching lever 45 may be fabricated with perforated or otherwise relatively weakened sections, as indicated at 45 and at 45, so that one or the other of these sections may be bent and broken off, thereby rendering the lock construction adaptable to certain needs. If, for example, the latching ledge 60 were to be broken olf, as by bending at the weak section 45', there would be no means for latching the member 45 against the plug lug, and, therefore, the lock would function only for the full-out position of Fig. 5 and for the intermediate position of Fig. 1. If, on the other hand, the downward projection 47 were broken olf, as by bending the relatively weak section 45", the lock would be limited to the functions of the full-in position of Fig. 6 and the full-out position of Fig. 5. It will be understood that the essential dierence between the first and second of these structures may be that in the first case the lock could be thrown oif by operation of the inside knob or by operation of the key, whereas in the second arrangement key operation only could be effective to throw olf the lock. In both cases, inside-knob operation of the latch 16 would be permitted at all times.

As a further feature, it will be appreciated that I have described a number of novel push-button operations for controlling the functions of a lock. In particular, in the forms of Figs. 7 through 13, I have described means for setting a lock by a pure non-rotating push operation and for throwing olf or releasing the lock upon a second nonrotating push operation. In all cases the push button may occupy obviously different positions with respect to the inside knob for a locked condition as compared with a thrown-olf or unlocked condition, so that, without manipulation of any kind, it may be known by simple inspection that the lock is set or that the lock has not been set.

While I have described my invention in detail for the preferred forms shown, it will be understood that modilications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a latch device of the character indicated, an in- 11 side knob, an outside knob, rollback means connected for operation by said inside knob, a longitudinally movable member extending through said inside knob for manually operated longitudinal positioning thereof, resilient means urging said longitudinally movable member for movement to a rst position, latch means for holding said longitudinally movable member in a second position, said outside knob being connected to sa1d rollback means when said longitudinally movable member is in one of said positions, and being disconnected from said rollback means when said longitudinally movable member is in the other of said positions, and means operated by movement of said longitudinally movable member into a third position for throwing off said latch means, whereby said longitudinally movable member may then return to said first position.

2. A device according to claim 1, in which said latch means includes a resiliently movable member carried with said longitudinally movable member and connectable with a longitudinally fixed part of said latch means for one position thereof, and in which cam means 1ongitudinally fixed with resiliently movable member cooperate with said resiliently movable member to release said latch means upon movement of said longitudinally movable member to said third position.

3. A device according to claim l, and including further resilient means, means holding said further resilient means out of the path of movement of said longitudinally movable member between said first and second positions thereof, said further resilient means being positioned for connection with said longitudinally movable member upon movement of said longitudinally movable member from said second position to said third position, whereby upon a manual pushing of said longitudinal member a first resistance may be perceived when shifting from said first to said second positions, and whereby a second and noticeably different resistance may be perceived when shifting from said second to said third position.

4. In a lock device of the character indicated, a longitudinally extending tubular member having a longitudinal slot therein and arranged to pass through a door, a sleeve rotatably carried on said tubular member for actuation from the inner side of the door and carrying rollback means for displacing a latch bolt, said sleeve having a longitudinal slot having a relatively narrow width at one longitudinal portion and a relatively wide width at another longitudinal portion, a longitudinally displaceable member within said tubular member and including a projection simultaneously to be received in both the slot in said tubular member and the slot in said sleeve, said projection being receivable in said relatively narrow slot portion for a first longitudinal position and in said relatively wide slot portion for a second longitudinal position, outer manual rotary actuating means for said tubular member, whereby said tubular member may be connected for rotation upon an operation from the outer side of the door, whereby for said first longitudinal position said lock may be operated from the outer side of the door, and for said second longitudinal position said lock may not be operated from the outer side of the door.

5. In a lock mechanism of the character indicated, a knob, locking means to be actuated by said knob, longitudinally displaceable means controlling an operation of said locking means in accordance with longitudinal placement of said longitudinally displaceable means, means resiliently urging said longitudinally displaceable means in one direction, latch means carried by said longitudinally displaceable means for holding said displaceable means in a shifted position against the action of said resilient means, and latch-throW-off means including a cam in intercepting relation with said latch means and operative upon a further shift of said longitudinally displaceable means.

6. In a lock of the character indicated, a knob, pushbutton means in said knob, means resiliently urging said push-button means outwardly of said knob, latch means carried for movement with said push-button means for holding said push-button means in a depressed position, and latch-throw-off means including a cam in intercepting relation with said latch means and operative upon a further depression of said push-button means.

7. A lock according to claim 6, in which said latch means includes a dog movable between a free position and a dogging position, and spring means intermediate 12 said positions for resiliently retaining a selected one of said positions.

8. A lock according to claim 6, in which said latch means includes a bolt member, and in which said cam is effective upon said further depression of said pushbutton means to move said bolt member away from a latching position.

9. In a lock mechanism of the character indicated, generally tubular guide means, push-button means slidable in said guide means and supporting a diametrically extending bolt, first cam means carried by said guide means on one side of said button means to engage said bolt on said one side, second cam means carried by said guide means on the other side of said button means for camming engagement with said bolt, means urging said bolt for camming engagement with said one cam means, and finger-actuable means in driving relation with said bolt to displace said bolt into camming engagement with said second cam means.

l0. In a lock device of the character indicated, generally tubular guide means, push-button means including two members to slide within said guide means, a lost-motion connection between said members, abutment means on said members limiting the lost-motion relation between said members for one relative angular position of said members and freeing said members for greater axial lost motion in another relative angular position of said members, latch means for holding one of said relative angular positions, generally axially actuable latch setting means carried by one of said members and effective to set said latch means in one of said relative angular positions, and generally axially actuable latch-throwoff means effective in another of said relative angular positions.

l1. In a latch device of the character indicated. a knob-supporting inner sleeve, a knob-supporting outer sleeve, a single longitudinally continuous tubular member within and in supporting relation with both said sleeves, roll-back means permanently carried by said inner sleeve, an elongated longitudinallv movable member within said tubular member and including first key means constantly connecting one of said sleeves to said tubular member, said movable member also including` second key means connecting said other sleeve and said tubular member for one longitudinal position and freeing said tubular member and said other sleeve for relative rotation in a second longitudinal position of said movable member, spring means constantly urging said longitudinally movable member for movement in one direction, and latch means carried by said longitudinally movable member for retaining a given positioning of said longitudinally movable member against the action of said spring means.

12. In a latch device of the character indicated, inner and outer knobs, an elongated inner cylindrical sleeve connected to said inner knob, an elongated outer cylindrical sleeve connected to said outer knob, an elongated single cylindrical tubular member circumferentially supporting both said sleeves in spaced relation, roll-back means carried by said inner sleeve, an elongated longitudinally movable selector member within said tubular member, key means constantly connecting one of said sleeves to said tubular member, further key means actuated upon a longitudinal displacement of said selector member and connecting said tubular member to the other one of said sleeves in a first longitudinal position of said selector member and freeing said tubular member and said other one of said sleeves for relative rotation in a second longitudinal position of said selector member, spring means constantly urging said selector member for movement toward said first position, and latch means for retaining said selector member in said second position.

13. A device according to claim 12, and including latch throw-off means actuated by rotation of said inner knob.

14. A device according to claim 12, and including a cylinder lock in said outer knob, and means operated by said cylinder lock for releasing said latch means so that said spring means may urge said selector member for movement to said first position.

15. A device according to claim 12, and including a cylinder lock in said outer knob, and means operated by said cylinder lock for actuating said inner sleeve without disturbing a latch condition of said selector member.A

16. In a lock of the character indicated, a knob, pushbutton means in said knob, means resiliently urging said push-button means outwardly of said knob, latch means including a lever for holding said push-button means in a depressed position, latch-throw-off means including a cam in intercepting relation with said latch means and operative upon a further depression of said push-button means, projecting means eiective upon said further depression of said push-button means to dislodge said lever from a latching position.

17. In a latch device of the character indicated, inner and outer knobs, an elongated inner cylindrical sleeve connected to said inner knob, an elongated outer cylindrical sleeve connected to said outer knob, an elongated single cylindrical tubular member circumferentially supporting both said sleeves in spaced relation, roll-back means carried by said inner sleeve, an elongated longitudinally movable selector member within said tubular member, key means constantly connecting one of said sleeves to said tubular member, further key means actuated upon a longitudinal displacement of said selector member and connecting said tubular member to the other one of said sleeves in a first longitudinal position of said selector member and freeing said tubular member and said other one of said sleeves for relative rotation in a second longitudinal position of said selector member, spring means constantly urging said selector member for movement toward said rst position, latch means for retaining said selector member in said second position, and latch throw-off means actuated upon a shifting of said longitudinally movable selector member to a third position.

18. In a cylindrical lock of the character indicated, an outside knob, an inside knob, a tubular member rotatable relatively to one of said knobs and extending generally between and in supporting relation with said knobs, rollback means permanently connected for operation by said inside knob, a longitudinally movable member within said tubular member, means on said longitudinally movable member operatively connecting said tubular member and said rollback means for one longitudinal position thereof, said tubular member and said rollback means being disconnected for another longitudinal position of said longitudinally movable member, means connecting said outside knob to said tubular member at least when said tubular member is connected to said rollback means, whereby said outside knob may be connected to said rollback means when said longitudinally movable member is in said one longitudinal position and disconnected from said rollback means when said longitudinally movable member is in said other longitudinal position, spring means constantly urging said longitudinally movable member in one direction, and latch means for selectively retaining a given positioning of said longitudinally movable member against the action of said spring means.

19. In a lock device of the character indicated, a tubular member having a longitudinal slot therein and adapted to pass through a door, a frame to support said tubular member for rotation, a sleeve for actuation from the inside and including rollback means to operate a latch bolt, whereby an actuation of said sleeve may always involve an actuation of said rollback means, said sleeve riding on said tubular member, a longitudinally movable member within said tubular member, a second sleeve on said tubular member for actuation from the outside, one of said sleeves being rotatable relatively to said tubular member, each of said sleeves having a longitudinally extending slot, two projections on said longitudidinally movable member, one of said projections being simultaneously receivable in the slot of said tubular member and in the slot of one of said sleeves, the

other of said projections being simultaneously receivable in the slot in said tubular member and in the slot of the other of said sleeves, one of the slots in one of said sleeves having a relatively narrow portion longitudinally spaced from a relatively wide portion, one of said projections being receivable in said relatively narrow portion in a first position and in said relatively wide portion in a second position, whereby in one of said positions said sleeves may be effectively connected to each other and in the other of said positions said sleeves may be effectively disconnected from each other, spring means constantly urging said longitudinally movable member in one direction, and latch means longitudinally movable with said longitudinally movable member for selectively retaining a given position of said longitudinally movable member.

20. A lock according to claim 19, and means clogging said second sleeve against rotation when said longitudinally movable member is positioned within said wide portion.

2l. In a latch device of the character indicated, an inside knob, an inner sleeve connected to said inside knob and integrally formed with rollback means, outer-knob means including an outer sleeve of substantially the same bore diameter as that of said inner sleeve, a single elongated tubular member in longitudinally overlapping and supporting relation with both said sleeves, a longitudinally movable member within said tubular member and extending through said inside knob for manual actuation, resilient means constantly urging said longitudinally movable member into a iirst longitudinal position, pushbutton means for actuating said longitudinally movable member against the action of said resilient means, said longitudinally movable member including key means connecting said outer-knob means to said rollback means via said tubular member when in said first position, latch means for holding said longitudinally movable member in a second longitudinal position, said tubular member having an enlarged slot adjacent a part of said key rneans when said longitudinally movable member is in said second position, whereby said outer-knob means may be disconnected from said rollback means when said longitudinally movable member is in said second position.

22. A device according to claim 2l, in which said outer-knob means carries an additional member rotatable relatively thereto and accessible from the outside, and in which said additional member carries means to actuate said latch means for at least one angular position of said additional member.

23. A device according to claim 2l, in which means actuated by said rollback means are positioned for connection with said latch means in an unactuated position of said rollback means, whereby when said inside knob is operated, said latch means may be thrown off to permit a resilient return of said longitudinally movable member to said first position.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 9,767 Ellsworth June 7, 1853 626,338 Phelps June 6, 1899 1,143,610 Carr June 22, 1915 1,358,211 Huffman Nov. 9, 1920 1,395,414 Hutman Nov. 1, 1921 1,755,434 Ellingson Apr. 22, 1930 1,919,750 Rymer July 25, 1933 2,210,080 Hover et al. Aug. 6, 1940 2,242,508 Ching May 20, 1941 2,529,230 Smith et al. Nov. 7, 1950 

